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Low spending on mental health must change globally, says WHO

Low spending on mental health must change globally, says WHO

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Mental health problems affect rich and poor countries alike, but targets aimed at providing support to those who need it are still way off being met, UN health experts said Tuesday.

Citing huge global inequalities in the care provided for sufferers depending on where they live, the World Health Organization (WHO) said stigma and confusion about mental health illnesses are partly to blame.

The UN agency’s Mental Health Atlas 2014 indicates that no country is doing enough to address a growing mental health burden, and that in some places, sufferers’ human rights are at risk.

Dianne Penn has more.

Duration: 2'48"

Photo Credit
A woman poses in front of mural on the occasion of World Mental Health Day 2014. UN File Photo/M. Perret.